fletcher



(No'Model.) 2 sheets-sheen 1,

A. C. FLETCHER. SPRING BACK BooK.

No. 446,858. Y Paftented Feb. 24,1891.

L *Sg I (N8 Model.) 2 sheets-Sheena.

A. C. FLETCHER..

SPRING BAGK 800K.

No. 448,888. Patented Feb. 24, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ADDISON O. FLETCHER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

sPRlNG-BACK BooK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,858, dated February 24, 1891.

Application tiled October l0, 1890. Serial No. 367,694. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ADDISON C.. FLETCHER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in S prin g-Back Books, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the manufacture of bound volumes of books, and especially to books of large size, such as accountbooks, books of entry for various purposes, dictionaries and encyclopedias, and other volumes of considerable size.

It is the purpose of my invention to combine With bound volumes of books of these or of other substantially similar description means whereby the book when opened shall remain or tend to remain open at any given point without imposing any unusual strain upon the binding and without the necessity of imposing weights upon the open portions of the book.

It is one purpose of my invention, also, to combine with the backing of the volume a series of elastic devices whereby the volume may be repeatedly opened and closed without injury to the backing or to the signatures attached thereto, and'whereby, also, the backing which lies within the spring-back of the book and to which the signatures are attached shall be normally turned or arched upward upon opening the book and supported by an elastic pressure, thus enabling the leaves to assume and preserve a natural position. I

It is my purpose, also, to combine with the spring plates or devices auxiliary springs which shall assist the action of the former; to provide means whereby longitudinal displacement of the spring-plates shall be prevented; to so construct said spring-plates as to afford convenient means in combination therewith, whereby the securing-tapes may be applied; to simplifyand cheapen the manufacture of the spring-plates or other devices; to improve the operation of the same, and to provide a ready, simple, and durable attacnment therefor.

To these ends myinvention consists in the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and then definitely pointed out in the claims following this specification, the same constituting an improvement upon the invention shown vand described in Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me the 29th day of April, 1890, No. 426,790.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my said invention, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure lis an end elevation of a bound volume embodying my invention, the book being shown as closed. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing the volume opened. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View showing one member of the metallic spring with the auxiliary spring tapes or strips connected therewith. Fig. 4 is a face View of the blank from which said spring-plate is formed. Fig. 5 is a partial or broken perspective view showing a modified construction. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the modified device shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a partial perspective of the clip, by which a connectionris afforded between the backing and the spring-plate.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 denotes the body of the bound volume, composed, as usual, of aseries of signatures, as they are ordinarily termed, stitched or other- -wise fastened together and united to a flexible backing `2, whichforms the mechanical attachment for said body portion.

The numeral 3 denotes the covers of the book, and the numeral 4 the spring-back or outer backing connected to said covers.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, the refer-V ence-numeral 5 designates a plate formed of elastic metal and having a length nearly or substantially equal to that of the book itself. One edge of this length of said edge to form a hook or Yshoul der 6, which is of such form and size thatjt.'V

plate isbent throughontthe ,Y

may hook over or engage with one yof the"l longer edges of the backing 2 in the manner shown in Figs. l and 2. From this point of engagement the plate extends in a comparatively narrow strip 7 to a point where it is abruptly bent upon itself, forming anedge or bend 8 parallel with the-hook o r shoulder 6,

and from said point or edge 8 it is bent to form a spring-curve 9, its main portion being brought into a gentle reverse curve 10, terminating in a free edge 12. At each end of the strip or section '7 is formed an integral lug 13, which is bent or turned to form substantially right angles with the strip.

In the edge of the strip or section which lies opposite the hook or shoulder G of the plate 5, are formed any suitable number of slots 11, and in close proximity thereto and parallel therewith I form openings 1.5. The functions of these slots and openings will be shown hereinafter. In or Ysubstantially in the line of bend forming the hook or shoulder G I also cut a series of slots 1G, for a purpose which will presently be explained.

The spring-plates having the construction set forth are formed in duplicate, two being used upon each volume. In the binding thereof the hooks or shoulders 6 are caught over the edges ot' the backing?, and the free edges of the plates are lapped one upon the other upon the centra-l portion of the backing. rIhe inelastic tapes or strings, which unite the covers of the book in the ordinary manner, are passed through theslots 1G in each plate, their ends being buried in the rearward edges of the cover or attached in any other suitable manner.

IVithin the slots 14 I insert the ends of elastic tapes 17, which are drawn through said slots far enough to permit. their attachment to the plate by means of rivets inserted in the openings 15. These tapes pass over the lapped edges ot the spring-plates between the same and the backing 2, and at both ends they aresecured to the said plates in the manner set forth The spring-plates being arranged and attached in the manner described, and the spring-back I being formed with a somewhat greater convexity than usual in order to give said spring-plates free space within which to lie and move, it will be readily appareutthat when the volume is closed, as in Fig. 1, the elastic tension of said plates will be relaxed and their free edges will ride or slip one upon the other to a limited extent at the same time that they remain in `contact with and exert aslight pressure against the backing 2. Then the book is thrown open, however, thc leverage exerted upon the hooks or shoulders 6 throws the free edges of said plates 'against the backing, curving it up ward, as shown in Fig. 2, and thereby exerting an elastic sustaining action upon the backing, thus giving a more complete parting to the separated portions, causing the book to remain Aopen at any point, promoting the convenience of the user, preserving the binding, and rendering the book far more durable. The lugs I3 at the ends of the spring-plates prevent longitudinal displacement of `the plates, and thus dispense with the necessity of employing pointed hooks or other forms 'of attaching'devices which might pierce the binding and in time destroy the same.`

I have shown the plates in Figs. fl and l: formed of a single or integral piece of metal; but as a matter of economy and to promote the convenience of manufacture I may form said plates each in two parts, as shown in Figs. 5, G, and 7, in which the referencenumeral 6 denotes the shoulder or hook forming part of the strip 7, while the numeral 1S designates alongitudinal portion of said strip, which is bent to form the angle S. (Shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.) The portion 18 is ot less width than the strip 7, and upon its edge are formed at suitable intervals aseries of tongues 10. This portion of the plate may be formed of any suitable metal,elasticity not being essential.

The numeral 2O denotes the spring-plate proper, or that portion thereof in which a suitable degree of elasticity necessarily resides. ()ne edge ot this plate is bent into a curve 22, and a little below or on one side of the highest point or apex of the curve are formed slots adapted to receive the tongues 19, which are bent to overlap the outer face of the curve, while the edge of the plate lies within the angle formed by the strip 7 and the bent portion 1S thereof. This forms a secure and stable attachment, which is praetically as strong and durable as if the plate were formed in a single piece. It materially diminishes the expense of manufacture also, since that portion of the plate shown in Fig. 7 may be formed of a cheaper metal, which may be bent readily into the desired shape. The slots 14 and 1G and the rivet-openings 15 adjacent to the slots 14 Will be formed in this modified form of plat-e in the manner already set fort-h, and the lugs 13 will likewise be formed upon the ends of the strip 7 in the manuel-shown. I may divide the straight continuous shoulder or hook (i into two or more parts, each having astraight extended edge which engages the backing without mutilating or piercing the same. I may also introduce a wear-plate 23 in `one or more parts or sections between the iiexible backing il and the free. edge of the sustaining-plate, which rides upon the backing, in order to avoid the wear of the metal upon the softer material of which the backing is composed.

That I claim is 1. rIhe combination, with a bound volume, of independent elastic sustaining-plates interposed between the spring-back and the backing, said plates being provided with hooks or shoulders having extended straight edges and adapted to hook over the edges of the backing, substantially as described.

The combination, with a bound volume, of elastic sustaining-plates arranged between the spring-back and the backing, said plates being provided with hooks or shoulders having straight extended edges engaging the edges of the backing and having their free edges lapped one upon the other and Vlying against saidbacking, lugs being formednpon the ends of said plates and at right angles IOO IIO

thereto, or substantially so, to prevent longitudinal displacement, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a bound volume, of sustaining elastic plates having hooks or shoulders provided with straight extended edges engaging the edges of the backing, against which the free overlapping edges of said plates rest, each of the latter being provided with slots or openings to per-mit the passage of the binding tapes or strips, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a bound volume, of two similar sustaining -plates having straight-edged extended shoulders adapted to hook over the edges of the backing while theirs free overlapping edges sustain said backing, and a series of elastic tapes secured at their ends to said plates and lying be* tweenthe same and the backing, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a bound volume, of elastic sustaining-plates, each having a straight-edged extended shoulder adapted to hook over one edge of the backing, said shoulder forming part of a flat longitudinal strip, from Which the plate is curved backward and then toward the center of the backing, against which the overlapping edges of both plates rest, said plates being provided with slots or openings at the angles of their shoulders to permit the passage of the binding tapes or strings, and elastic tapes secured at their ends to the respective plates andlying under suitable tension between the said plates and the backing, substantially as described.

6. rPhe combination, with a bound volume, of elastic sustaining-plates, Yeach formed in two parts, one of said parts being of elastic metal,while the other part is of inelastic material, the two being united, substantially as described.

7 The combination, with a bound volume, of elastic sustaining-plates consisting of inelastic portions provided with shoulders hooking over the edges of the backing and having lugs upon their ends preventing 1ongitudinal displacement, said parts being united With elastic plates by means of tongues on the former passing through slots in the latter, said elastic plates being lapped at their free edges which rest. against the backing, and elastic tapes connected with the inelastic parts and lying between the same and the backing, substantially as described.

S. The combination, with a bound volume, of independent elastic sustaining-plates interposed between the backing and the springback of the volume, said plates being provided with hooks or shoulders having extended straight edges adapted to engage the edges of the backing, While their free overlapping edges rest against said backing, and a Wear-plate formed in one or more parts and interposed between the backing and thesustaining-plate adjacent thereto, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADDISON C. FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

J AMES L. NoRRIs, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD. 

